Tuesday, June 30, 2020

OSR: Cockatrice

                                              by Ryan Barger

At the Beginning, Rooster and Hen lived together as husband and wife.  They both loved each other at first, but once The War started, cracks began forming in their relationship.  For while she loved her husband, gossip soon reached Hen that Rooster had broken his vow and had a secret lover. Hurt and ashamed by this, Hen fled from Rooster's tent and wandered into the wilderness. 

There, she encountered Serpent, that most cruel and clever animal.  Recently deprived of his legs, Serpent was sad and lonely.  Hen would not have approached him, but Serpent gave off an aura of pathos that he never had before.  She approached him and struck up a conversation.  Quickly they began to bond, finding companionship as they bonded over their sadness.  From that point on, whenever Rooster came home with someone else's feathers on him, Hen would make some excuse and sneak out to see Serpent.  Eventually, the two of them came to fall in love.  And soon enough, Hen mimicked Rooster by allowing herself to be seduced by Serpent. 

Hen's infidelity lay undiscovered for many moons, until finally, the child that had been conceived by her and Serpent was born and when Rooster laid eyes on its strange, scaly body, he accused Hen of the infidelity she was surely guilty of.  He then dragged Hen before the whole community, in hopes of shaming her and allowing himself to formally separate from her.  However, once he was finished his accusations, Rooster's various lovers came forward, many with the children that had been produced from the affairs.  Thus shamed, Rooster declared that he and Hen were hence forth enemies and that his children would be a plague on hers.  In response, she cursed him by declaring that he and his descendants would not be able to produce children outside of a lawful marriage. 

This started a feud that has lasted until today.  This is why Farmers who have chickens must conduct marriage ceremonies between a Rooster and their Hens, and why lands where the Gods support polygamy have many more chickens than ones that don't.

And as for Serpent?  Clever creature that he was he kept his silence and whisked away his child, to raise it himself.  This child would eventually grow up to become a Monster named Cockatrice.

Number Appearing: 1d6
Alignment: True Neutral
Languages: None
Treasure: Their livers are ingredients that can be used to make potions, their unhatched eggs, valuables left behind by previous victims  

Cockatrice
HD 1
AR 3 [Fast movement]
Atk Razor Beak (1d4 sharp + 1d8 DEX(if beak damages target)) or Freezing Eyes
Mor 11
Saves 7 or less

Freezing Eyes: Anyone who meets a Cockatrice's eyes can either take 1d6 DEX damage or find their body slowed.  A peck from a Cockatrice's beak also reduces DEX.  A person slowed by this gaze can move or make an action (attack, use an item, anything besides talk) but not both.  Anyone who has their DEX reduced to 0 by a Cockatrice has the outermost layer of skin, stopping at the entrances of their orifices, turn to stone.

Tactics:
- Only attack if an enemy is near the nest or a threat
- Stay out of range of those with long or big weapons
- Uses eyes to keep at range, attack those who get close

Ecology:

Cockatrices are beasts, about as smart as house cats.  They are slightly larger than most cats, being just slightly larger than a rooster.  They are carnivores and primarily eat insects, lizards, snakes, snails and worms.  However, they will eat almost any form of meat, including carrion.  Cockatrices use their paralyzing eyes and petrifying beak as means of defense against larger predators, which mostly avoid them.

Cockatrices will not attack larger animals unless they stray too close to their nests or are attacked, but if they are, they retaliate with animal savagery.  Creatures that are unlucky around them find themselves trapped in a layer of stone, alive but unable to move.  Cockatrices then perform the act they are most known for.  

They climb up their partially petrified victim's body and begin to eat the accessible soft tissues through the mouth.  And since Cockatrices are also highly flexible, they can usually fit quite a long way inside.  These partially petrified victims usually attract feeding frenzies of Cockatrices, which swarm around the living statuary, screeching at each other and jostling for a spot.  Needless to say, the usual outcome of made a meal by a Cockatrice or a flock of the same like this is agonizing death.  For this reason, Cockatrices have an evil reputation.

Cockatrices are avoided by all reasonable folk.  Some still can use for these creatures though.  Hags often seek Cockatrices, either as guard-animals, for some scheme, or merely to release into a village for a sick prank. 

Adventurers are also known to seek out Cockatrices, as their livers can be boiled to create a potion that reverses petrification.  They are also known to seek out their eggs. 

Among Sages and Alchemists, it is common knowledge that a Cockatrice's eggs, since they are magical, preserve the offspring in a stasis-like field.  As long as the shell isn't breached, the Cockatrice will be alive inside.  These eggs allow an easy way to harvest the livers of Cockatrices, or to wreak criminal mischief.  An unhatched Cockatrice can be hatched if a non-virgin woman pees on one.  And a newly hatched Cockatrice is still as dangerous as a mature one.  Some clever criminals have kept a Cockatrice egg with them as a means of distracting the authorities and escaping. 

                                                    by Mythika

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

OSR: The Imps of Gryla Peak (part 2)

                                            from wallpaperup

This is a part 2, a supplement to my last post.  Find part 1 here. 

Gryla Peak Travel Table:

Danger Level: 2

Travel Table
1d6

1-2: Encounter.  Roll on the Encounter sub-Table.
3- Omen.  Roll on the Encounter sub-Table.  You do not encounter the creature, but instead see a sign of that creature.
4- Difficulty.  You have some difficulty on your travels.  Someone has the chance of being bitten by a snake, for example.  Here the difficulties are 1d4 [1= The weather takes a turn for the worse- a storm is approaching; 2= One character must save or fall down into a crevace concealed by the snow; 3= The usual path is blocked, the character must attempt a risky climb or circle back and try another route; 4= Fog or some other factor drops visibility to 30' or less.]
5- Foreshadowing or Hint.  The Referee should provide the players some information about the local area or about their current quest, if they have one. 
6- Friendly NPC.  They meet Vira, Daughter of Harz, a Sage who spends her time up her communing with the Elemental spirits. She is an older woman, but an experienced climber and effective guide.  If you seem especially in need or incompetent, or ask, she will show you a safe path out of the mountains.  She can also tell you about 1d3 entries on the Encounter sub-Table (count each Imp as a separate entry). 

Encounter sub-Table
1d4

1- Imp.  Roll on the Imp table.  The Imps, if they are in the wilderness or it is dark, usually take their normal forms, but on the roads they take the forms of normal travelers. 
2- Wild Beast.  You meet some otherwise normal animals that pose some threat, such as a Snow Leopard, a pack of wolves, etc.
3- Leppalu the Faerie.  He is [1= Hunting; 2= Searching for something; 3= Spying on someone else; 4= Playing some cruel joke on a traveler, such as turning his donkeys into wolves; 4= Watching you.]  There is a 2-in-6 chance he is accompanied, either by one of his sons or his wife, Gryla (50% of each).
4- Gryla the Ogre.  She is 1d4 [1= Hunting or foraging; 2= Collecting firewood; 3= Breaking stuff; 4= Lying in wait.]  There is a 2-in-6 chance she is accompanied by one of her sons or her husband, Leppalu (50% of each). 

Random Imp Table
1d12

1- Stekkar. 
2- Gilij. 
3- Stofur. 
4- Pvorus and Pottask. 
5- Aska. 
6- Huro. 
7- Skyr. 
8- Glugga.
9- Ketkro.
10- Bjunak. 
11- Kerta. 
12- Galtape.

Traveling through the mountains is hazardous at the best of times, but at night it grows even more dangerous.  At night, up the Danger Level to 3. 

Gryla Peak Plot Hooks:
1d8

1- 1d6+1 of the Imps (little brothers) are terrorizing a mountain village.  Drive them off.  If you kill any of them, expect terrible retribution to fall on you.
2- A group of adventurers in town are boasting about a magical treasure, a morningstar called Sunshower that glows in the dark and moves as a dancing weapon.  The weapon is supposedly flying around the mountains and they hope to be the first person to find it.  Secretly, these adventurers are actually some of the Imps in disguise and the "treasure" is created by Galtape.  Following that light will lead to all sorts of natural hazards and potential death. 
3- A caravan hoping to pass through the mountains before it is too late in the year asks you to escort them through the mountain passes.  On the way up though, the Imps trap the caravan and torment them for their own purposes, or just their own amusement.
4- Gryla, the Imp's mother, wants to procure wives for her sons.  She will attempt this by kidnapping local women and bringing them to her cave.
5- As above, except Galtape wants to procure strong wives for his brothers, so in disguise, he will attempt to hire adventurers to kidnap powerful female monsters and bring them to him, alive. 
6- As above, except Galtape just hires female adventurers and kidnaps them.  You are asked to investigate the whereabouts of these female adventurers.
7- Kerta has been secretly exchanging coded letters with a Necromancer in a nearby city about one assisting the other or vice versa.  When foiling the plans of one, you encounter auxilaries or aid from the other.
8- Attacks by local monsters have grown scarcer recently.  Go investigate what this is.  Apparently, Galtape and the Elder brothers are trying to organize a Conclave of the Night, where all the important regional players (monsters, savage peoples, Servants of Chaos, etc) are planning on gathering to discuss something: an alliance, a coalition, a Crusade against civilization, etc.  Regardless of what is decided, it can't be good.  Infiltrate the Conclave and try to prevent anything from being accomplished.

                                             by rougealizarine

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

OSR: The Imps of Gryla Peak

In the Spine of Tarraq, the largest mountain range on the continent, there are many small communities scattered among the plateaus and the deep fjords.  Many of these communities rarely receive visitors, due to their low amount of trade goods and inconvenient location.  These communities are sleepy and slow, with little occurring in them.  The slow pace of life there encourages those with ambition or wanderlust to leave them, further reinforcing the air of solitude and tranquility that the mountains bring.

Yet while the mountains are often peaceful, just like the weather up there, that can all change in an instant.  Even here, in these sparsely peopled lands, there are creatures here who resent the intrusion.  Wyverns fly down and snatch sheep and sometimes shepherds, Rocs drop harder creatures into villages to kill them, and the Folk are said to prowl around near the summits of the peaks, scheming of ways to rid themselves of the invaders. 

But some of these creatures are not so mysterious, or unintelligent.  Some of them are far, far smarter than they let on.  Among the more intelligent terrors of the Spine of Tarraq are the Imps of Gryla Peak.

                                                 from Hearthstone Wiki

The Little Brothers:

Base Little Brother Imp Statblock
HD 2 
AC Ogre Blood (Sharp and Blunt 1d6) 
Atk (+2) Claw 1d6 or Weapon
Mor 5 (+1 per other Imp there) 
Saves 9 or less is a success

Cold Iron Weakness: The Imps of Gryla are Folk, they take +1 damage per die from iron weapons or iron sources.

Truth-Teller: The Imps of Gryla are Folk, they cannot tell direct lies, though they can still deceive.  They may also tell lies of omission.

Shapeshifter: The Imps can shapeshift into other creatures, shapes and objects.  No matter what they look like, they always have the same stats.

Tactics:
- Never stand and fight 
- Mess with people
- Have a good time

The Imps are a mixture of Ogre and Folk, so they are strange in appearance.  They are hairless, with long, rodent-like bodies and flexible spines that enable them to scamper over rough terrain and move their bodies in all sorts of strange ways.  They have strong arms and sharp claws on their hands and feet.  Their climbing skills are excellent.  Their faces are the strangest of all though, vaguely simian with catlike eyes and pointed ears.  Depending on the imp, they vary in handsomeness, some being truly repulsive and inhuman, others being striking in their allure.  

                                                       by DaveAllsop

Stekkar

Stekkar is the bane of Shepherds.  He is fond of sneaking into pastures and stealing lambs or attacking field hands by disguising himself as a Sheep.  He has a peg-leg.

Weakness: Stekkar is endlessly convinced of his own cleverness.  He has convinced himself that all mortals are short-sighted, slow-witted and easily convinced.  He is blind to his own ability to be tricked. 

Statblock Changes:

Sheep-Charmer: Stekkar can charm sheep and sheep-like creatures, commanding them to obey his will.

Partial Invisibility: Stekkar can turn himself invisible, but his magicks only work on low-class people.  For anyone below the aristocratic class in his society, Stekkar is invisible.  But for those of the aristocratic class or higher, Stekkar is perfectly visible.

                                                       by AlexRuizArt

Gilij

Gilij is a predator that preys on the aristocrats and their livestock.  Unlike Stekkar, who prefers common prey, Gilij only hunts big game, so to speak.  He is known to sneak into barns and manses alike, to seduce those within them.  His most common targets are cows or heifers.  He puts the bulls to sleep and then transforms himself into a cow and mates with the females, causing their wombs to quicken.  Several days later, the cows will give birth to strange, unnatural children who more resemble Folk than calves.

This violation will eventually be noticed by the farmer, usually, but it is first noticed by the bull, who will be sent into a rage at the presence of Gilij.  Bulls will always try to target Gilij and will rage against anything that stands in their way.

Gilij is also known to seduce the virgin daughters of the aristocracy, creating scandal through his magicks.  Some of these daughters have even given birth to some of his children, though if this were the case, the child's true origin would be a closely guarded secret.  Maybe the local Wizard with more than his fair share of talent gets it from his father.

Weakness: Gilij lacks any form of impulse control.  If presented with an opportunity to indulge his desires, especially to trick someone, to drink, or to seduce a lady, he will take it, unless it is obviously suicidal or obviously a trap.

Statblock Changes: 

Sleep Charms: Gilij can cast a spell on someone as a full action.  That person must save or fall asleep.  If they are unaware he is casting this spell on him or already tired, they get -4 to their save.

Servant's Aura:  Gilij can turn himself invisible, but his magicks only work on high-class individuals.  For anyone of the middle or aristocratic classes, Gilij is invisible.  For anyone below that, Gilij is plainly visible.

                                                      by newmanD

Stofur

Stofur is perhaps the least annoying of the Imps, but one of the more painful ones.  Stofur doesn't have the malicious creativity to pull his own pranks, so he usually accompanies one of his brothers to assist them.  The others tolerate Stofur because while he does not possess a great deal of talent, he is one of the stronger brothers.  And I don't mean in a spiritual or will based sense.  Stofur is mightily strong, one of the few of the Imps who will actually bother to fight.  Stofur carries a bag full of earthen jars which he flings at people, as well as a bone club which he uses when people get into his face. 

Weakness: Stofur knows how strong he is.  If someone is, or seems, weaker than him, he will taunt them and play with them, as a cat plays with a mouse.

Statblock Changes:

Weapon Damage- 1d8+1

Stunning Blow: Anyone struck by Stofur's club must save or be stunned.  On a successful save, the person is stunned and loses his next turn.  On a failed save, the person is stunned for 1d6 turns.  A stunned person may move, but take no other actions on his turn.

                                                     by snugglestab

Pvorus

Pvorus is perhaps the most talented of the Imps in terms of magic.  He is fascinated by sorcery and Wizards and will never miss a chance to chat with one, even if its just to harass them and watch them sputter away in frustration.  Pvorus is endlessly curious about many other things as well, possessing a thirst for knowledge that is rare among his kind.  Pvorus loves to sneak into the houses of the rich to steal book and scrolls.  Sometimes he is forgetful of where he is though and instead just remains in the room for hours, hiding from any maids or masters who might come down there, spending his time seated on a stack of volumes as he pores over a book of poetry or religious writing.  All this reading hasn't made him that much smarter though, as while Pvorus does have a great thirst for knowledge, he also is flighty, quickly flitting from one subject to another, lending him a wide, but shallow base of knowledge.

Weakness: Pvorus cannot resist magical knowledge.  If he believes he has a chance to learn more about it, he take it, unless it is obviously a trap.  This can be anything from a discarded spellbook to a lone Wizard.

Statblock Changes:

Weapon Curse: Once per round, Pvorus can curse an object.  Any object cursed by him causes an invisible portal to be attached to that object, so that whatever the object touches passes through the portal.  If Pvorus curses a weapon, if it strikes him, instead of harming him, it instantly teleports him up to 30' away, to any location he chooses.  He can undo any curse on an object, or alter the location it teleports objects or creatures to as a free action, but only on his turn.

                                                         source unknown

Pottask

Pvorus and Pottask are actually twins, a fact that is known by the Imps and other members of their family, but by almost no one else.  This is perhaps fair, as Pvorus and Pottask are almost nothing alike.  Pvorus is sensitive, curious and eager to learn.  Pottask is blunt, aggressive and has nothing but contempt for the work of mortal hands.  He has a habit of burning books and scrolls, though this is mostly to irritate his twin.  Pottask also does this, however, to show his superiority over those who must learn from books, for the petty wise men and learned folk of the mortals.  He especially despises Wizards, for filling their heads with rotten knowledge and strange twists to capture the power of magic.  To him, if something cannot be done naturally, it should not be done at all.  So anyone who attempts to raise themselves up from the status of their birth angers him.  Why does he hold such contempt for people like that?  Is it perhaps because of his own feelings of superiority? Or is because of his need to distinguish himself among his 13 brothers?  Or is it due to the large, irregular scar covering half his face?

Weakness: Pottask hates Wizards and Magic-Users.  He will gloat over and mock them for their strangeness and then he will try to kill them.  He will never miss a chance to do this, unless to do so would be obviously suicidal. 

Statblock Changes:

Magic Deflect: Pottask carries two enchanted bowls with him.  If any magic spell affects a person holding one of the bowls, it instead does nothing and is transferred out of the other bowl, affecting the other person holding it or closest to it.  Pottask can also remove the enchantment from one or both of the bowls and attach it to two other containers.

                                                           from Fairyroom

Aska

Aska is the most mischevious of his brothers, the one most dedicated to messing with mortals.  His methods are simple, yet always effective.  His favorite tactic is to keep people awake.  He will hide outside people's homes and continually make small, annoying noises to keep them from ever getting the sleep they want.  He is fond of tapping on windows, throwing rocks onto the roof and baging a pot on the wall or on another pot right outside the house.  His favorite tool to use for this is a bell or gong, however.  Once he managed to keep an entire monastery awake for seven straight days by using such tools, along with small stones and prayer chimes.  He ended up being driven away soon after that, after the sleep-deprived holy men inside developed a new martial school- the Sleepwalking Fist- but that is a story for another day. 

Weakness: Aska is very interested in the effects his pranking has on his victims.  He will always stay nearby, to see how it affects them. 

Statblock Changes:

Chime: Aska can enchant one object as a full action to make a noise as loud as a human shout or quieter at his command.  He may only have one such object enchanted at a time.

                                               from Hearthstone Wiki

Huro

Huro is a prankster and a mischief-maker.  He fancies himself a comedian, though his jokes are cruel and barely jokes.  They are more commonly simple theft, as Huro has a habit of burgularizing people's homes and barns.  He is fond of stealing things that make whatever they are attached to useless without them or something that is hard to steal.  He does not steal things like money or gold, but he will steal things to make someone's life harder.  For example, he will steal rope from mountaineers or hay bales from farmers.  He is also fond of stealing other cumbersome things such as wagon wheels, doors, fence posts, or things that are designed to be impossible to steal.  This last category is the most important.  Huro won't steal money or jewels, but if those jewels were inside a magically locked chest or in a huge, stone box that no ordinary man could lift, he would definitely try to steal the whole container.  

Weakness: Huro tends to bite off more than he can choose.  He overestimates his own abilities, particularly when it comes to his strength.

Statblock Changes:

Atk: (+3) Fist 1d6+3

STRONG: Huro has enormous physical strength, with a STR of 18(+3) for purposes of lifting, carrying, grappling or breaking stuff.

                                                             source unknown

Skyr

You'll probably smell Skyr's handiwork long before you see it.  Skyr has the ability to instantly transform milk, yogurt or other dairy products into cheese.  You will know he is around because if you approach from downwind you will find the wind laden with the smell of cheese that's been sitting out for days.  Skyr has a habit of stealing people's yogurt and fermented milk, but if he can't have it, he'll take it from you and leave several pounds of gouda in its place.  Probably the least dangerous but the most inconvenient to deal with it.  Be careful if you help a village being harassed by this little terror, as they might pay you with a hundred pounds of cheddar.  And before you ask, literally cheddar.

Skyr also possesses the ability to animate cheese to make it obey his will.  When he or his family is threatened, he will command it to mold together to form enormous boulders of pepperjack or gouda golems with sharp cheddar swords.

Weakness: Skyr adores yogurt and milk of the sour or fresh variety.  He will not go retrieve some if he suspects it is a trap, but if a farmer just so happens to be called away after milking the cows, that's a different story, now isn't it?

Statblock Changes:

Cheese-Maker: Skyr can transform milk into cheese as an action.

Animate Cheese: Skyr can animate Cheese, giving it the ability to speak or move.  Any cheese he imbues with life has 1 HD, unless he combines a large amount of it together into a Cheese Construct, which has 1d4 HD, 10 AC, an Attack of (+0, 1d6), never checks morale or disobeys orders and has all the weaknesses that come from being made of cheese.

                                                     from Magic the Gathering

Glugga

Glugga is the most disfigured of all the Imps.  His entire face is missing a nose and other features, dominated by an enormous eye.  This eye is twitching and bloodshot, big as a pizza and bulging, staring perpetually out at the world.  Glugga is a voyeur, a pervert and a peeping tom.  He is fond of sneaking into barns or stalking young people, in the hopes they will sneak off to fool around, so he can watch.  He also enjoys watching babies be born, though he rarely gets a chance to see this, as it usually takes place indoors. 

Weakness: Glugga is a passive creature.  He prefers to watch and inform his brothers of things.  He rarely takes the initiative.  When given the chance to act, he usually will choose the safest, most conservative option.

Statblock Changes:

Superhuman Perception: Glugga can see amazingly well.  He has binocular vision, he can see with only the smallest amount of light, though not in complete darkness and he can even see an invisible object, as long as it is moving. 

Big Target: Glugga's eye is a huge weakspot.  If something granular is thrown at his eye, he will have to spend a round to blink it away to see.  On top of that, he is easily dazzled and has -4 to all saves against blinding effects.

                                                           from Fine Art America

Ketkro

Another freakish abberration, a mutated shadow of their Father's slyvan beauty, Ketkro's face is dominated by an enormous nose, which snuffles and drips wherever he goes.  This grants him an astounding sense of smell, which he occasionally uses to track prey and enemies across vast stretches of wilderness.  Ketkro isn't much of a hunter though, except of one particular type of prey: bread.  Ketkro loves bread so much, he hides outside bakeries or sneaks in, early in the morning, just when the loaves have emerged from the ovens to feast on them.  When interrupted he sneezes on the person foolish enough to have come here, inflicting hallucinations on them for daring to interrupt his meal.

Weakness: Ketkro's sense of smell is so powerful, any foul odor has a chance of stunning him or forcing him to temporarily retreat, as to him, a putrid odor hits like a hammer blow.

Statblock Changes: 

Bloodhound: Ketkro can pick up an incredible amount of information from an object's scent.  If he has a blood sample, he can track a creature across the continent, if so motivated.

Hallucinogen Sneeze: Every 1d4 rounds, Ketkro can spray hallucinogenic spores out of his nose in a 15' cone.  These spores cause hallucinations that last for 1d4 hours and do not grant a saving throw.

                                                by elgama

The Elder Brothers:

Among the Peoples of the South, family and clan structure is incredibly important.  As seen in peoples such as the Quarrians, these structures are centrally organized and dominated by a leader, usually a male, who rules over the family with near-absolute authority.  This position usually goes to the Father or Grandfather. 

And since the continuity of the family is so important, the leaders of the clan do distribute birthright, especially that most essential position of authority, to the one who was born first.  The firstborn is not necessarily the strongest, bravest or wisest.  As such, among these peoples, "Firstborn" and "Elder" are words that do not necessarily line up with time, but are used to indicate rank. 

Such is the case for the "Elder Brothers".  These Imps are stronger than their brothers, more exceptional in some natural virtue.  They are not necessarily the oldest, but they are the most respected and the ones most likely to take over the leadership of the clan should the parents die.

                                                    by art-iMP

Bjugnak [Jun-ack]

Bjunak is a pervert and a rapist, a truly despicable individual.  He preys on the vulnerable, seducing with the lyre and honeyed words, or seizing his prey by force.  He prefers handsome young men and boys who have just reached adulthood, but he is not picky and will target anyone who looks like a tempting target.  Unlike his brothers, he has a taste for high culture, knowing how to play several musical instruments.  He has also memorized many poems, mostly ones of love and loss and will recite them when he feels their appropriate. 

However, his sophisticated exterior hides a murderous and sadistic interior, for Bjunak is also a thief and a murderer.  He often kills his conquests once he is done with them, those sometimes he will only mutilate them.  One of his favorite things to do is to castrate his victims and leave them with the grisly choice of either returning and bringing shame on their family and name, or wandering into the wilderness to be picked off by one of his brothers or another thing prowling the dark.

Weakness: Bjunak, if he sees an opportunity to indulge his sadistic habits, won't be able to resist.  The only reason he would refuse the chance to attack a handsome boy or man is if he suspected it was a trap or the target looked too strong to be overpowered.   

Statblock Changes:

HD: 3

AC: Ogre Hide, Thick (Blunt 1d8, Sharp 1d6)

Atk: Bloodchord (Magic Dagger) (1d6/1d6)

Cursed Knife: Bjunak wields Bloodchord, a cruel knife that once belonged to a serial killer who killed 13 women with it before he was captured and hung.  Bloodchord has the power that if it severs a body part, that body part will animate and fall under the control of Bloodchord's wielder.  These body parts retain only their original strength unless bathed in the blood of a murdered victim, which mutates them into monstrous parodies of their original shape.

Minions: Bjunak has 2 penis snakes, four crawling claws, and one Mouth of Desolation on his person at all times.  He uses these to distract and restrain his opponents.

Bjunak's Minions-

Penis Snake
HD 2
AC none
Atk Bite (1d6 + Constrict)
Mor 20
Saves 8 or less    
Immune to Fear and Charm

Undead: Undead do not feel pain or get tired.  They are immune to poison and disease.  They do not need to eat, sleep or breathe.  Any spell that says "Undead" in its title or description is talking about something like this.

Sunlight Vulnerability: Undead take 1d6 radiant damage for every round they spend in sunlight.

Already Dead: Unless decapitated, cut to pieces, burnt to ashes by sunlight or reduced to zero HP by a magical attack or weapon, the Undead has an X-in-6 chance of their body knitting itself back together and recovering from the damage they took, where X is equal to the number of HD they have.

Constrict: A Penis Snake deals 1d6 CON damage a round it is wrapped around a person.  If this damage reduces someone's CON to 0, he must make a STR save or die.  If released, his CON returns at a rate of 1 point per minute.

Tactics:
- Follow orders
- Attack the weakest person
- Sacrifice yourself for your master

Crawling Claw
HD 1
AC none
Atk Scratch (1d4 + grapple)
Mor 20
Saves 7 or less 
Immune to Fear and Charm  

Undead: Undead do not feel pain or get tired.  They are immune to poison and disease.  They do not need to eat, sleep or breathe.  Any spell that says "Undead" in its title or description is talking about something like this.

Sunlight Vulnerability: Undead take 1d6 radiant damage for every round they spend in sunlight.

Already Dead: Unless decapitated, cut to pieces, burnt to ashes by sunlight or reduced to zero HP by a magical attack or weapon, the Undead has an X-in-6 chance of their body knitting itself back together and recovering from the damage they took, where X is equal to the number of HD they have.

Restraining Hand: A Crawling Claw deals 1d6 DEX damage for as long as it is attached.  If this damage reduces someone's DEX to 0, they are immobilized.  This DEX damage is immediately healed if the Crawling Claw is pried off, which requires beating it in a STR contest or killing it.   

Tactics:
- Follow orders
- Attack the strongest melee fighter
- Sacrifice yourself

Mouth of Desolation
HD 3
AC none
Atk Howl
Mor 20
Saves 10 or less
Immune to Fear and Charm

Undead: Undead do not feel pain or get tired.  They are immune to poison and disease.  They do not need to eat, sleep or breathe.  Any spell that says "Undead" in its title or description is talking about something like this.

Sunlight Vulnerability: Undead take 1d6 radiant damage for every round they spend in sunlight.

Already Dead: Unless decapitated, cut to pieces, burnt to ashes by sunlight or reduced to zero HP by a magical attack or weapon, the Undead has an X-in-6 chance of their body knitting itself back together and recovering from the damage they took, where X is equal to the number of HD they have.

Immobile: The Mouth of Desolation cannot move.

Howl: The Mouth of Desolation, as an action, can howl.  All but Bloodchord's wielder must save.  On a failed save, they become scared and take 1d6 COG damage.  They feel the urge to run away and get as far away from the Mouth's Howl as possible. If flight is impossible, they will take some other step to prevent themselves from hearing the Mouth of Desolation's Howl.

Tactics:
- Use yourself as a distraction
- Spread fear  
- Laugh as you die

<Referee's Note>

To become Bloodchord's wielder, you must kill the previous wielder and take it off their corpse.

A body part severed by bloodchord dies and animates as an Undead under the wielder's control.   

Bloodchord's wielder can control up to X HD of body parts, where X is the creature's HD or class level, whichever is higher. Any additional animated body parts are not under the wielder's control and free to do as they wish.

</Referee's Note>

                                                by JohnSilva

Kerta

Kerta is a clever child, but strange.  He is removed from all emotion and empathy and seems not to understand people.  Whenever he shapeshifts into a person, the form is always strangely distorted, with a face that seems "just" off, or with some other abnormality that would not be present on a normal person.  This is a source of frustration for Kerta, as he is obsessed with mortals.  He wants to understand them, but they seem terrified of him.  He doesn't know why.

So to indulge his curiosity and solve this mystery, Kerta captures mortals and dissects them.  He cuts apart their bodies and studies the intricate sprawl of blood vessels, arteries and veins, then peels sections of muscle and hangs them up to study them in the sunlight, marveling at the tangled bunches of fiber.  His favorite subjects for experimentation are the organs though, which he expertly cuts apart and studies.  His cave is full of pickling jars full of dissected and sliced open organs.  Sometimes for these experiments he recruits Bjunak to animate these organs, but most of the time, he is content to study them once they have been plucked from the non-living shell of a mortal. 

Weakness: Kerta is arrogant.  He doesn't see himself as a warrior and sees his work as noble, so he would never expect anyone, besides his victims of course, to actually attack him.  He never checks for traps and would easily fall into any ambush.  He will regard threats against his life with humor first, then confusion when no one else laughs. 

Statblock Changes:

HD: 3

AC: Ogre Hide, Thick (Blunt 1d8, Sharp 1d6)

Atk: Claws (1d6+1) + Hookhand (1d6 or Save or be disarmed)

Heartstring: Kerta carries a rope that moves of its own accord, if he wills it.  As a free action, he can activate the rope, making it move.  When animated, it is a 2 HD snake with no bite attack and all the weaknesses that being rope grant it. 

Grenado: Kerta carries a magical bomb that explodes for 3d6 fire damage in a 30' sphere, save for half.  He carries 1d4+1 of these bombs.   

Potion of Pass without Trace: Kerta possesses a potion that if drunk, prevents a creature from leaving behind any trace of its passage.  He carries 1d4 of these. 

Puppet: Kerta carries around a puppet with him.  The Puppet has no magical abilities but fills those who look upon it, except for The Puppet's keeper, with a sense of unease.  At all times, The Puppet's keeper gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls and all saving throws.

                                                             source unknown

Galtape [Gal-tah-ph-eh]

Galtape is the firstborn, the favored son, the greatest of his brothers.  He is not the strongest nor perhaps even the most brilliant, but Galtape possesses something the others do not: an indomitable spirit.  Galtape has the soul of a warrior, unbowed and unshakeable.  His will is iron, but he is not inflexible either.  Galtape has a vision for the future, one he is willing to pursue to the end of the world.  However, Galtape is not arrogant, nor is willing to let an opportunity go for the sake of honor or personal glory.  He sees only the goal, and his clever mind fills in the gaps to bring him to where he wishes to go. 

Galtape desires the best for his family and his brothers- for them he would do anything.  However, his vision extends further.  He envisions something more for them than simple raiding.  He hopes to make his brothers into the foundations for something new, pillars in a new empire.  These are plans he has not discussed with anyone, but if given enough time and success, he will move forward.

When he is not plotting Galtape stalks the freezing peaks alone.  He tracks climbers and travelers and plays games with them, probing them with illusions and small attacks, to see what they will do.  He uses his illusions to lure them off course or get them lost, then watches their behavior.  Do they turn on each other or band together?  He does this not out of cruelty, but out of pragmatism.  He intends one day to rule over the hill clans and maybe eventually the soft, civilized folk of the distant valleys.  To do this, he must understand them. 

Weakness: Galtape is wedded to his family.  He would do anything to protect his brothers, except sacrifice himself.  But anything else, he would do.  If his brothers needed something, he would give it to them.  If one of his brothers were hurt or killed, he follow the man responsible across the world and make him pay for what he had done. 

Statblock Changes:  

HD: 3

AC: Ogre Hide, Thick (Blunt 1d8, Sharp 1d8)

Atk: Claw (1d6+2) or Light Blasts (1d6/1d6)

Glow: As an action, Galtape can make an object he touches glow, or create a ball of glowing light as bright as a torch.  He can control this light as a free action, moving it as he sees fit, though it cannot move more than 100' away from him.  If he wishes, he can make the light this orb emits have the properties of natural sunlight. 

Snuff Flames: As an action or reaction, Galtape can cause one source of fire or light to grow cold and extinguish this.  He can also use this ability as a reaction to a fire spell, canceling it out. 

Sunlight Blast: As an action, Galtape can fire blasts of light from his hands, or transform his glowing orb into one of the projectiles.  These blasts do 2d6 fire or radiant damage, Galtape's choice.

Mother, Father and that damned Cat

                                                               by MiguelRegodon

Gryla

The Peak had a different name once, the one written on all the maps.  But it is her mountain now.  Gryla is the ruler of this freezing peak and the mother of the vicious brood that torment all near it.  She is a wicked and gluttonous creature, consumed by her desires.  She dwells in a cave decorated with the frozen skeletons of her many victims, arranged in fanciful displays, skeletons posed at crude tables of stone, cups sealed in their hands with ice, clothes stiffened by the cold still wrapped around them.  From here, Gryla sits, ruling over the mountain.  She dwells here with her Folk Husband and her monstrous cat, as well as with her 13 sons.  All who come to her mountains must face the risk of encountering her.  

While the common people do not know this, Gryla is actually an Ogre, a female child twisted and morphed into something dreadful and depraved.  It has been years since then, but Gryla has changed very little.  The process stunted her growth, making her immature and petulant.  Gryla does not know how to form stable or normal relationships.  She acts out, throws tantrums when she is upset and is driven by her passions. 

Those passions were what inspired her to pursue the Faerie Leppalu, who dwelled in these mountains as well.  She found his beauty entrancing and attempted to kidnap him.  She failed at this and the two ended up battling numerous times.  Whenever she would win, she would kidnap him and drag him back to her cave, then attempt to court him in her own strange way.  Eventually, Leppalu allowed her to win and seduce him, as she clearly had been attempting for some time.  The reason for this is largely unknown.  Perhaps she eventually just wore him down, or maybe he came to genuinely love her.  Regardless, she managed to take possession of him, and they have built a very large family together.

Weakness: Gryla is driven by her passions and emotions.  She very rarely thinks things through and reacts on brute instinct most of the time.  She will not wander into an obvious trap or a clearly unwinnable fight, but she very rarely thinks things through.  If her children are harmed or threatened, especially where she can see it, she will fly into a murderous rage and pursue the person responsible with a single-minded intensity. 

Statblock:

Gryla is an Ogre.  Use the base Ogre Statblock that is found here.

Appearance wise she is fat and large, covered in shaggy grey fur.  Instead of having normal feet, she has chicken feet, which enable her to walk through the snow with surprising ease.  As she is so big, Gryla needs little protection from the cold, only bundling up when the weather is at its absolute worst.  Usually the only thing she wears is a loincloth and a thick strap across her bountiful bosom to support her breasts.

                                                          source unknown

Leppalu

He doesn't like that he has a name, but it is one that his wife gave him, so he can't complain much.  Leppalu is a Faerie, a Folkish noble with the power to shapeshift.  Before his current domestic life, he spent his time seducing maids and stealing livestock, occasionally pausing to curse some farmer and turn his children into cannibal freaks.  He was a ruthless, amoral sort who cared for nothing and no one. 

After their wedding, performed by a Demon, and many, many children, Leppalu has softened quite a bit.  He is now longer the brutal savage he once was.  He still despises things like math and writing, but the hatred has dulled quite a bit.  In a hundred years, if this process continues, he might end up becoming a Handsome Man.

Weakness: Leppalu is secretly fearful that he is not as strong as he once was, that he had degenerated into something less splendid.  He will respond to any challenge with surprising rage.  If his children are threatened, Leppalu will transform into a glorious exemplar of courage, fighting to his last breath to keep them safe.  Whether or not he is victorious, he will thank you for giving him new purpose. 

Statblock:

Leppalu is a Faerie.  Use the base Faerie statblock here

Leppalu's female form is that of a naked man with razor sharp facial features and bleach blonde hair.  His skin is pale as driven snow and his eyes are bright red. 

His male form is glassy and almost invisible, organs, muscles and bones becoming translucent.  His limbs grow long and dangerous, each finger extending to as long as a man's forearm, tipped with a wicked spear.  He uses these to make Claw attacks (1d8/1d8) or he can fire the nails off his fingers like javelins, (2d6 sharp, save for half).  He can only use this ranged attack up to 10 times.

                                                       by Xatchett

Jolako

Jolako is the family's cat.  She is a massive snow leopard, large for her size with excellent camoflague.  However, Jolako has a secret that only Leppalu and Galtape know about.  Jolako is actually a Nekomata, a cat that has transformed into a wicked spirit that enjoys tormenting the weak and helpless.

<Referee's Note>

It is common knowledge that as Cats in Nukaria grow, they grow new tails.  Cats grow one tail when they are born, two when they are seven years old and three when they are 14 years old.  Depending on the region, it is thought that Cats should be killed or released when they grow additional tails, though if this should be done at 2 or 3 tails varies from place to place.

Secret Knowledge: Cats grow in power and intelligence as they age, just as Foxes do.  When a Cat grows a second tail, it gains the ability to speak and learn language.  When a Cat grows a third tail, it gains the ability to shapeshift into a humanoid.  From this point as Cats accumulate more Tails, they grow in power, gaining new abilities. 

Cats that grow two or three tails often leave their owners, depending on the region, to wander the world as free Cats.  These Cats are called Bakeneko.  Cats with three or more tails who are sadistic and cruel are called Nekomata.  The children of Bakeneko or Nekomata and an ordinary mortal is a Nekomimi, an otherwise ordinary mortal with cat ears, a tail and claws.

</Referee's Note>

Weakness:
Jolako is an agent of chaos.  She lives to spread discord among those nearby and uses her shapeshifting powers to their fullest extent.  She cannot resist an opportunity to make mischief or to play a cruel trick on someone that looks vulnerable.

Statblock: 


Jolako the Nekomata
HD 3 
AC none
Atk Claw (1d6/1d6) or Bite (1d12) [Snow Leopard form]
Claw (1d4/1d4) or Icy Blast [Humanoid form]
Mor 13
Saves 10 or less is a success

Shapeshifter: As an action, Jolako can shapeshift either into the form of a humanoid she has seen or can imagine, a Catman humanoid form, an ordinary house cat or a snow leopard.  Regardless of what form she takes, she still possesses three furry tails.   

Pounce: If she attacks from behind, from stealth or from a higher altitude Jolako may add +1d6 damage to any melee attack she makes.  She may only use this ability in her Humanoid or Snow Leopard form. 

Icy Blast: If she is in a Humanoid form, as an action, Jolako may fire a blast of ice magic at her target, doing 2d6 damage plus 1d6 DEX damage.  She can do this every 1d4 rounds.  If Jolako's blast reduces someone's DEX to zero, they are trapped in a block of ice and must be thawed out.  This DEX damage comes back at a rate of 1 point per hour, as long as the target is somewhere warm, such as in front of a fire or wrapped in furs with someone who has not trapped in ice.  

Tactics: 
- Attack from surprise
- Use Icy Blast to get out of tight scrapes
- Steal a weapon if you must fight

                                                       source unknown

Sunday, June 7, 2020

OSR: Carnivore - Barbarian Boogaloo

I decided that my Carnivore class, which is my version of the Barbarian, needed a rewrite.  So I did so.  Much of the changes I made are inspired by or lifted wholesale from Ten Foot Polemic's Barbarian Class.  I think this will be an improvement, as the idea of "The Rage Spiral" is truly a great idea.

                                            by maciejkuciara

Carnivore
Starting HP: 1/3 of Con
FS: +4 per Carnivore level
Starting Equipment:
(Fantasy Setting)
Fur-trimmed cloak, big axe (Powerful), jerky, canteen, tribal tattoos
(Modern or Sci-Fi Setting)
Leather jacket, sunglasses, cigarettes, brass knuckles (Balanced) or javelin (Quick, Thrown)

<Note>

I have not included pre-determined Saving Throws for this class, because I have recently decided to switch to "Under or Equal" Saves.

Simply put, if I have to roll a DEX Save and I have a DEX of 15, I need to roll a 15 or less.  If I do, I succeed.  If I roll higher than 15 though, I fail.

</Note>

Abilities:

1:

Rage: As a free action, you can fly into a murderous rage where you are consumed by the desire to make everything alive around you to stop doing that.  While in a Rage you can accumulate Rage Counters.  Rage Counters are acquired by hitting an enemy, which grants you 1 Rage Counter.  If you hit an ally with an attack, either purposefully or accidentally, you lose one Rage counter.  For each Rage Counter you have, you gain a +1 to your Atk bonus and do +1 damage.  Enemies meanwhile gain a bonus equal to the number of Rage Counters you have to hit you.  

While in a Rage, you must attack.  Every round you do not, you take 1 COG damage.  If this ever causes you to hit 0 COG, you are permanently consumed by your Rage and proceed to try and kill everything in sight until you die or are otherwise incapacitated.  COG lost like this is restored by 1 point per day spent not raging while adventuring or traveling and by 1d4 points per day spent doing something peaceful, like meditation, prayer, reading or living a quiet, simple life.

To stop Raging you must succeed a COG save with a penalty equal to the number of Rage Counters you have.  This save is a full action or can be attempted for free after killing an enemy.  Once you stop raging, you lose all your Rage Counters. 

2:

Death Trance: When you hit 0 HP, you enter your Death Trance.  While in a Death Trance, you gain a Rage Counter every time you take damage.  Additionally, for every Rage Counter you have, you gain an extra attack.  Finally, you cannot be knocked out, put to sleep, or otherwise knocked unconscious.

3:

High Priority Target: As long as you are Raging, Enemies must successfully make a Morale check to target anyone besides you.

4:

All-Consuming: While Raging, you are immune to Charm and Fear spells or abilities, as well as any ability or spell that tries to influence your emotions or behavior. 

5:

Opportunity Attack: When Raging, if successfully attacked and damaged, or if an opponent who is in melee combat attempts to leave combat or move past you, you may make an attack against them as a free action.

6:

Surprise Cancel: When you are surprised, you may save.  On a success, you are able to act normally, as if you were not surprised.

7:

Bare Chested: Your body is so well developed and the power of your Rage so terrible that these factors work together to shield you.  As long as you aren't wearing armor, you have Natural Armor equal to your CON modifier.  Shields and Helmets don't count as armor.   

8:

Unstoppable Force: When you take damage that pushes you below 0 HP forcing you to take a Horrible Wound, unless it is an injury that instantly kills you you may continue fighting as normal, with the only other exception being if the Wound cripples you in some way, such as if the result of taking a specific amount of damage is your hand being cut off.  In that case you cannot use that hand anymore. 

9:

Too Angry to Die: The power of your Rage is so great that now it determines when you will die, and not petty things like the laws of reality.  1/Day, if an attack, effect or event would slay you, it simply doesn't.  The only exception to this is an attack that totally disintegrates your body.  If you were Raging when this event occurred, you keep fighting, in spite of what should be a mortal wound.  If you weren't, you stagger back from the door of death and immediately fly into a rage.

                                                         by nerdbayne